


Simon Has A Girlfriend

by Threatie



Category: Firefly
Genre: "introduce the girlfriend to your family", Disassociation, F/M, Gen, and been living together, awkward conversation, crammed into a space rv, except they've met, for the past forever, it all works out tho
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-15
Updated: 2020-11-15
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:53:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 645
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27578771
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Threatie/pseuds/Threatie
Summary: Simon attempts to talk to River. River talks to Simon instead.
Relationships: Kaylee Frye/Simon Tam
Kudos: 11





	Simon Has A Girlfriend

**Author's Note:**

> Just wanted to write River POV, tbh.

Simon and Kaylee.

River is not surprised. She is pleased (Kaylee is _nice_ !) and she is relieved (the waiting for a certainty to confirm itself is, in River's opinion, the worst form of waiting there is) and she is, perhaps, somewhat unfairly amused (she's his sister, she's _allowed_!) but nowhere among her emotions- easily readable, for a change- is she surprised.

This presents a slight interpersonal challenge, as Simon isn't aware that he's told her yet.

Simon is going to attempt to tell her. With _words_.

She will have to sit through Simon attempting to tell her.

His attempts stumble over themselves, tripping each other up. As always when Simon is given free rein, he fails to make it out of the paddock without hanging himself at the gate. 

Simon does not need to use this many words. The information that Simon would like to convey should take him between five and eight words, depending on whether or not he chooses to use the word "fucking." 

Kaylee would say “fucking,” in River’s projection of this conversation with Kaylee as a participant. It wouldn’t be a vulgarity in any but technicality; Kaylee would wield the directness like a knife to cut Simon free.

Simon is not actually saying anything at all. His stalling seems to be subtracting meaning, somehow; diminishing the whole of the information being conveyed. River can feel entropy acting on his words the longer he continues speaking them. 

The nothingness between sentences stretches out farther and farther, deepening into inescapable caverns. River, giving grace to the inevitable, acquiesces to falling in. The sliding of her gaze from Simon's face to a point just above his left shoulder is a profound relief. 

-

"River?" 

Simon, having noticed River’s departure from the conversation, calls her back with a cautious touch against her knee. River’s perception insists it has taken him an eternity; that she slept and woke and floated for an ocean of moments before he realized.

Her awareness corrects her, only slightly. It had been 43 seconds. 

Well, this isn’t getting any better. Time for action.

"You and Kaylee." 

Simon stutters, thrown off his loop. River reminds herself, somewhat savagely, that it hadn’t been carrying him anywhere anyway. 

"You're being safe with her, of course." There is social decorum to be observed, but that can wait. First, information. It needs to be said by one of them, and River isn’t much for tradition. "And cautious of her feelings. Too cautious, but she knows you. You've had the preliminary conversations, agreed it's time to go public. You don't need to," she adds quickly, cutting the attempted interjection off at the pass. "Only as formality. Sounds don’t carry in the vacuum of space, so the vibrations have to go round and round the ship until they run themselves out, like little beagles. There’s nowhere else for them to go.” 

“And,” another interruption of his interruption, before Simon can take back this task for himself, “I am happy for you. Inara is happy, although more for Kaylee. She will tolerate you. The captain too, but he’ll try not to admit it. Wash could be your friend, I think, and Zoe, and of course Jayne will need to threaten you. But don’t worry. He’ll only hurt you a little, until he feels that he’s been heard.”

The information stops there. With all the data covered, there’s no more for River to force into being.

Silence. What next?

Oh. Eye contact.

Simon is, now, at a loss for words. The sight makes River’s shoulders slump with relief. 

Finally. Interaction done.

Or, no. There was something she’d been wanting to ask him, earlier.

“Simon?” These words are hopeful, and hesitant with lack of data. “Is there any more fruit?”

He finds words, for that. She thinks that’s relief on his face as well.

“I’m not sure, River. Let’s go look, okay?”

  
  
  
  
  



End file.
